ISWAP commander sentenced to 20 years in prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has handed a 20-year prison term to Hussaini Ismaila, a commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), after he was found guilty on multiple terrorism charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the verdict following Ismaila’s decision to change his plea to guilty on all four counts. Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, was prosecuted for orchestrating a series of deadly attacks across Kano State.

According to the prosecution, Ismaila coordinated coordinated assaults in 2012 on the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, the Pharm Centre Police Station, the Angwa Uku Police Station, and several other locations, leaving many victims injured.

He was arrested on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezewa LGA of Kano State and subsequently charged under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.

The proceedings experienced multiple adjournments due to interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial aimed at determining whether the defendant’s confessional statements were voluntary.

When the trial resumed, the prosecution presented five witnesses, including two officials of the DSS and two individuals who witnessed the attacks. After the fifth witness testified, the defendant reversed his earlier not-guilty plea.

His counsel, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council (LAC), urged the court to consider leniency, noting that Ismaila had shown remorse, “changed his plea to avoid wasting the court’s time,” and regretted his involvement in terrorism.

Justice Nwite convicted Ismaila on all charges, imposing 15 years for the first count and 20 years each on counts two, three, and four. The terms will run concurrently, and the sentence is to be calculated from the date of his arrest on August 31, 2017.

The court also directed the Controller-General of the Correctional Service to hold Ismaila in any designated facility to serve his term. Additionally, Justice Nwite ordered that upon completion of his imprisonment, Ismaila must undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation before returning to society.

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